November 21, 2022. In the Atlantic, 0° N, 31.22° W. (at the equator)

At 4:31 PM today we crossed the Equator.

What’s the big deal? From this point forward the sun will be at our back as we look to the south. The North Star (Polaris) will slowly sink to the horizon and disappear while constellations in the south, previously unseen, will rise to greet us each night. In the northern hemisphere one can determine the location of a low pressure area by turning your back to the wind and extending your left arm. Where your hand points is the center of the storm. South of the equator it will be the right hand that makes that determination.

Oh yes, water drains with an rotation, and Yin is now Yang.

There was no line in the water, no speed-bump, and no caution signs. There was just the captain’s announcement and the building anticipation among the passengers and crew. There was also the Shellback Ceremony.

Earlier in the day hundreds of the passengers and most of the crew assembled on the pool deck to celebrate the age old nautical tradition of being inducted into the “Order of the Shellback“.

Each of us paid homage to the fish by drinking a salty beverage, plunging into the sea (swimming pool), and then downing a shot of strong liquor (or Ginger Ale). The reward was a certificate and a memory that will last a lifetime.

Those who took the plunge included young and old (which on this cruise are relative terms), officers, and crew, all to the beat of ABBA hits expertly played by the Viking Jupiter Band. It was great fun!

We are still two days from making port in Brazil. There is nothing but ocean and 360 degrees of endless horizon. One might ask, “Why bother with your camera? There is nothing to take any pictures of”. Let these images answer the question:

Peace Everyone. Pete

PS. Yesterday we met with Viking’s onboard cruise consultant. The result was that she made an offer that we did not refuse. On October 24, 2023, we will board a Viking ocean ship in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and proceed through the Caribbean, the Panama Canal, visit the northwest coast of South America, and 18 days later disembark in Los Angeles, California. Another “next thing“ has found us.

November 20, 2022. In the Atlantic, 6.38° N, 6.22° W. (@ 400 miles north of the Equator)

Our original cruise itinerary had us arriving in Dakar, Senegal on November 18th. In the exercise of prudence, Viking determined that political and port issues warranted an alternative destination. Approximately 400 miles to the west is the archipelago of Cape Verde, a group of 10 volcanic islands, which are the western most point of Africa. Mindelo, the capital of its island of Sao Vicente, became our substitute destination.

Sunrise and first sighting of land, as seen from our balcony, were dramatic.

The harbor gave an immediate impression of being “3rd World“. A bit of Internet research confirmed the impression. The Cape Verde islands were uninhabited until discovered by Portugal in the 15th Century. The islands remained a Portuguese territory until they obtained their independence in 1975. This was a thriving economic region until the 19th century, largely due to its convenience as a cross oceanic stopover, and sadly also due to the slave trade. These islands were also popular hiding and hunting grounds for pirates and privateers.

The island has a total population of approximately 80,000, of which 70,000 live in Mindelo.

The suppression of slavery in the 19th century brought economic collapse. Cape Verde has since gradually recovered, again due to its importance as a commercial center and stopover point on major shipping routes. Nevertheless, the country and its population are relatively poor by European and North American standards. Per capita average annual income is less than $8,000.

Viking offered four different shore excursions. Christine and I opted for the one that was “included“, meaning there was no additional expense. It was advertised as a three hour bus tour through the island and was deemed “easy“.

Physically, that was probably true for most of the participants. In my book it’s still qualified as an “adventure“.

This was primarily due to the narrow, winding, and precipitous cliff roads that took our mini-bus to the island’s highest point, Monte Verde, 2,440 feet in elevation above the harbor.

At the top of Monte Verde we enjoyed panorama views of the 10 by 15 mile island and some sampling of the islands 80 proof rum-like beverages.

Adventure can come in many forms, including a visit to the bathroom.

Our tour guide held court and offered much local knowledge not otherwise available on Wikipedia or Google.

On the opposite side of the island from our ship we visited a “ghost town“. It is a village built by well-to-do Europeans and North Americans who visit only seasonally. The rest of the year their homes, deemed very upscale by local standards, remain locked up. This village also hosts an annual music festival. In the year preceding Covid the festival drew over 60,000 visitors.

The island of Sao Vicente has a desert climate. With the exception of the mountain top, it averages less than 5 inches of rain a year. With no lakes or rivers all water is either derived by rain storage or desalination. We drove by a small area where there were palm trees present. Our guide advised that this was the most fertile area on the island. It’s still looked like a desert.

Agriculture is only pursued at the subsistence level. However, we observed some young men herding goats.

Along the eastern shore of the island were large sand dunes. We were invited to take handfuls of the sand to feel its texture. It was more like dust than granular sand. The guide explained that these dunes resulted from high winds that occasionally blew across the Sahara desert, depositing dust from the Sahara onto the east shore of the island.

There was a initial concern among some passengers that this substitute venue would be disappointing. On the contrary, Christine and I found the experience to be enriching and adventurous. We departed Sao Vicente shortly before sunset. Ahead of us are four at-sea days. We are scheduled to make landfall in Brazil on the west side of the Atlantic on November 23rd. We also are excited for the crossing of the equator which should occur the evening of November 21st.

Peace Everyone. Pete

PS. While out and about on deck we encountered a couple enjoying their lunch. What immediately caught my eye was the woman’s cap. It bore symbols from the Camino de Santiago. We stopped to visit and I explained that I had just completed walking the Portuguese Coastal route before embarking on the Viking cruise. Barbara and Jim shared that they had twice walked the Camino from Leon, Spain to Santiago. The last time that they hiked the 150+ miles was five years ago. Jim added that Barbara is looking forward to walking next year when she turns 90! Buen Camino to Jim and Barbara who are from Savannah, Georgia.

November 18, 2022. In the Port of Mindelo, Cape Verde, Africa.

Our original cruise itinerary included Casablanca as a port of call for November 14th. However, officials in Morocco declined shore privileges to the vessel because of a few onboard Covid infections. The 14th thus became a day at sea with Funchal, the capital of Madeira located off the coast of Africa as a substitute on the itinerary for November 15th.

Christine and I previously enjoyed a visit to this autonomous Portuguese territory in 2018. We contemplated skipping the included tour this time but ultimately decided to reprise the tour and also enjoy some free time in port.

Our bus tour lasted approximately two hours and included a remarkable performance by our bus driver as he expertly navigated the huge vehicle through hairpin turns up and down the white-knuckle steep mountain roads. In many places the road was barely more than a lane wide with blind corners. This challenges a drivers ESP to predict whether or not there is oncoming traffic.

Our tour included a stop at a mountaintop overlooking where it seemed that half the island’s population had assembled, including at least one “interesting character”.

Our pleasant and knowledgeable tour guide shared that she was 50 years old and clearly recalled in childhood that it was a rare treat to see a motor vehicle. She lamented that traffic jams are now common. She also shared that in her childhood there were only three roadway tunnels on the island. Today there are over 150.

At one time the island economy was largely fishing and agricultural. Today tourism is king. On the day of our visit there were three other cruise ships in port. There was not enough room at the pier to accommodate our ship so passengers were ferried to and from shore on the ship’s four large tenders.

This island enjoys a subtropical climate where evening, daytime, and year-round temperatures rarely vary by more than 10 degrees. It was sunny and 75° for our visit.

The climate and inexpensive standard of living explain the popularity of Funchal as both a recreational and residential venue for citizens from the UK, Portugal, Germany, and even the United States and Canada. Although our tour guide remarked on the cost of renting an apartment to emphasize the expense to locals, we were struck that $800 dollars/euros per month for a two bedroom apartment in the city was quite livable.

Funchal was a popular vacation spot for Sir Winston Churchill. He was known to take his leisure not only with a cigar and glass(es!) of whiskey, but with his paintbrush and easel.

The island is celebrated for its production of Madeira wines. Typically aged more than 10 years and fortified with additional alcohol to approximately 18% abv. The aging process includes periodic warming of the barrels. Depending on the variety of grape, the wines fall into four categories, dry, semi dry, semisweet, and sweet. We enjoyed a taste testing of each of these varieties and ultimately purchased 10 year aged bottles of dry and semi dry.

There were bottles available for purchase that indicated aging of 40 and more years. One can spend hundreds of dollars on one of these antiques. It was reported that Madeira wines will resist oxidation for over a year after the bottle is open, and unopened bottles can remain good for centuries.

A highlight of the day for me was a culinary challenge unwittingly launched by our tour guide. A fish popular among the locals is the Black Scabbardfish. This denizen of the deep lives in the lightless depths between 600 and 5,600 feet below the ocean surface. We were cautioned that this black eel-like fish which grows to length of nearly 3 feet is terrifyingly ugly. Our guide added that one should eat it before ever seeing it in the fish market or even in a photograph.

I looked it up on the Internet anyway, and then proceeded to look for a restaurant where I could partake of this bug-eyed, needle-toothed “delicacy“. With accompaniments, the lunch portion of the fish cost only €14. It was excellent, and as you can see I almost forgot to get a picture.

We departed from the island that afternoon, looking forward to two consecutive days at sea before making landfall at Cape Verde. I continue to be challenged with slow and occasionally nonexistent internet. This makes it very difficult to upload my pictures and narrative. I am doing my best, but in the meantime…

Peace Everyone! Pete

P.S. Inquiring minds want to know: Yes, Christine did try the fish, even though she saw the pictures first. Amazing!